


The Wall That Divides Us

by nek0philia



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Romance, F/M, Platonic Roommates, Roommate, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-04-17 07:15:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14183715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nek0philia/pseuds/nek0philia
Summary: Sharing an apartment with a stranger wasn't exactly their first choice. They almost never stayed in the same room for more than a couple of minutes. It didn't help that he was very private and quite the enigma and it certainly didn't help that she spent most of her time across the hall.However, once they manage to break the very thick ice and settle in their new living arrangements, they both realize that they wouldn't have it any other way.





	1. The Interview

**Author's Note:**

> I picked up the concept for this fic at a Tumblr post for cute prompts and the like and since I was just getting back into writing fanfiction, I originally planned for this to be a one-shot. But then, as I was rewatching the TV series Friends, I was inspired by how Joey and Rachel's roommate relationship progressed from platonic to not-so-platonic. 
> 
> I also posted a Twitter thread on what their apartments look like which I feel is really important since most of the story will take place at either Sakura and Kakashi's or Naruto's. I designed it via the easiest way possible: Through Build Mode in The Sims 4. I'll be sure to update it every now and then because we also have other apartments to explore! You'll be able to find it through this link: https://twitter.com/nek0philia/status/981498067143634945?s=21. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this fic as much as I have fun working on it!

**May 29**

 

Not much had changed down at the lobby of the Canopy Heights Apartment since she’d last visited but everything seemed so different now that she wasn’t here to see Naruto. Today, she was here for an interview which her friend had gladly set up for her at 3PM. Looking for cheap apartments around Leaf Village wasn’t easy, after all.

Sakura and Ino had been inseparable since they were in grade school and when they were presented the opportunity to be roommates in college, they hadn’t moved out of their own apartment since. They endured their first two years as fully functioning adults together and each found their own nursing jobs. However, as Sakura had expected it, Ino had found love on their first year as professionals and just one month ago, Ino had shared with Sakura her and Sai’s plan to finally move in together.

At first, Ino had offered to move out so that she and Sai could find somewhere new to stay (since Sai’s studio apartment left very little room for Ino’s shoes) but Sakura couldn’t afford to pay the rent for a two-bedroom apartment all by herself. The smartest option was for her to move out to save Ino and Sai the trouble of cashing out down-payments and deposits.

Luckily, when she shared the news with Naruto, he was more than glad to tell her that the man who lived across his apartment just posted an opening for a roommate on the apartment bulletin board that same week. Apparently, his old roommate recently moved out and he was looking for someone who could move in as soon as possible. It was absolutely perfect since that apartment was just walking distance from Konoha Doctors Hospital and one bus ride away from Leaf Village Medical Center, the two hospitals she was in contract with.

“Canopy Heights property is a steal,” she remembered Naruto saying over coffee. “They price their rent nearly half of what other Leaf Village properties charge that’s why no one has moved out of the building in two years.” Of course, Naruto would know. He wasn’t the richest person she knew but, for some reason, she’d never seen him once ask to borrow money or even complain about making rent.

Knowing her way well around the building, she headed for the stairwell and climbed to the second floor. Naruto’s apartment had been the last door to the right of the hallway so that would mean that if she did well on this interview, she would be living right across him (which was good since she didn’t do very well with strangers unless they were being wheeled into the emergency room).

She walked the across the hallway quietly, not wanting to let her potential roommate know that she was arriving so she could have a few spare minutes to compose herself. Sakura checked her outfit, only now questioning whether a plain old cream sweater and a short red skirt Ino had given her as a parting gift was appropriate. Maybe some pants would have been better?

Her eyes lingered on Naruto’s door though she knew he was still at the fire station at this hour. It was only two minutes before her appointment and she wasn’t sure about the character that would potentially be her roommate but based on Naruto’s stories, he seemed pretty harmless.

Before she could even ready herself, her knuckles were already on the wood of the door and she knocked! Without even knowing it, Sakura held her breath and only let it out slowly when she realized that the tenant was taking a bit too long to answer. Maybe he didn’t hear—

There was the sound of the deadbolt being unlocked and Sakura caught her breath once more. As the door opened, she was met by a man about a head taller than she was. He was wearing a grey shirt over plaid green pajamas and house slippers. He was wearing a medical mask (not any different from the ones she would occasionally restock in the operating room) and had tousled silver hair that both defied gravity and hung low enough to cover his left eye. Odd. She could swear she heard Naruto say he was around his thirties.

But who was  she to talk about odd? She had pink hair.

 “Good afternoon,” he greeted, his mask muffling what she assumed would have otherwise been a very smooth baritone. “Can I help you?”

Sakura nodded and smiled the best she could. “Actually, does Hatake Kakashi live here?” she asked, just in case she got ‘across Naruto’s apartment’ wrong. “Uzumaki Naruto said he scheduled my interview at 3PM?”

He seemed to have zoned out for a minute but the look of clarity was evident on his face even if she was only able to see his one eye. She couldn’t tell if he was smiling when he opened the door wide for her and spoke. “I’m Hatake Kakashi,” said the man as he extended a hand to her which she shook firmly. “You must be Haruno Sakura. Please, come in.”

Hatake moved to give her some space so she wouldn’t feel too crowded by him as she stepped in the apartment. As he closed the door behind her, Sakura took those two seconds to appraise the common area of the apartment. She had only seen Naruto’s studio apartment a couple of times and it had been impressive for 7000 Ryo a month but Naruto definitely wasn’t lying when he said this apartment would be the steal of the century.

To her right was the living area where an LED screen television sat in the very end of the whole room. There was a two-seater couch and a single armchair to match it. Perhaps he had gotten it as a set? On the other side was a small dining table centered by two wooden chairs and the kitchen which looked pretty spacious enough to cook a full-course meal…not that she could but she did make a pretty mean English breakfast.

“Would you like a tour or would you rather get the interview done with?” asked Hatake as he made his way to the kitchen. “And would you like something to drink?”

She considered her choices but not after she requested a glass of water. Sakura noticed him pull one out of the overhead cupboards and rinse it quickly before pouring what looked to be ice cold water in. By the time he walked back to her and handed her the glass, she’d already decided. “Maybe a tour would be best if you wouldn’t mind showing me around.”

He said nothing in response and instead gave her a single nod. He walked past her and stood in the center of the living room before gesturing around nonchalantly. “This is the living area,” he said though he could have said it in a way that wouldn’t defy the very definition of the word ‘living.’ “I'm sorry about the couch. It’s very old and I plan on getting a replacement soon.”

Then, he made his way over to the kitchen where he beckoned Sakura to follow. Hatake gestured around as he spoke. “Uhh…That’s the dining table. This is the stove which I don’t really use that much since I don’t cook. The microwave. The fridge. Oh, and we have plenty of cupboard space since I don’t have many cooking…stuff. There's also a trash bin under the sink.

“Then there’s the bathroom,” he said, moving fluidly to one part of the apartment to another. Sakura kept up with him, keeping her mouth shut and sipping on her water when she felt like speaking. All questions could wait after the tour. “I just finished cleaning it when you arrived.” _That explains the mask_ , she thought. He pushed the door and it creaked lightly as it swung open. “The building hadn’t had hot water since last month but I hear they’re working on it.”

Sakura nodded and mm-hmmed as he opened the lights for her to inspect the generous bathroom space. After a certain amount of time, he closed the lights and the door before moving to the door next to it. “This is where your room would be,” said Hatake. He did as he had with the bathroom and opened the lights before he stepped inside. Sakura followed but only stayed two steps away from the door.

It was much bigger than she pictured it in her head. She imagined needing to keep her work table in the common area but now that she had seen the room in person, she realized she could pretty much keep _all_ her stuff in here. The windows were far wider than the one in her old room so shopping for curtains would be in order if she gets this place…not that she even looked for other places to stay.

The silver-haired man walked in her direction and she figured it was time to step out. Shame. She was only beginning to put together in her head how she’d arrange this room. Hatake closed the lights and shut the door before walking to the door in the very end of the room just by the living area. “And this is my bedroom.”

Unlike what he did with the last two rooms, he merely opened the door but didn’t bother opening the lights but that was okay. She was even surprised she was allowed a peek into his room and that was all she took. She stayed by the doorway and let herself glance quickly into his room. There wasn’t much to see since it was dark but she did catch a glance of a wooden desk and an armchair that matched the one in the living area right next to it.

Pulling herself quickly before she got to curious about his room, Sakura smiled and nodded at the man, letting him know that she’d seen all she needed to see. Hatake pulled the door close and led her to sit on the armchair in the living room while he sat back on the couch.

“Now, I don’t really mind if you have guests over,” he started. “I don’t personally throw parties but I wouldn’t mind if you plan on planning social gatherings here or schedule your dates in the apartment. Just as long as I’m not disturbed in my room and you notify me before you bring people over. I intend on showing you the same courtesy as I have with my previous roommate.

“As for pets, I don’t mind cats or dogs. However, as much as I would also love to see reptilian pets, the property lease specifically prohibits tenants from keeping exotic pets of the sort. As for the common area, you don’t have to ask for permission if you want to use my microwave or the television. It’s in the common area for everyone’s benefit. Now that I’ve covered my biggest concerns, do you have any questions?”

She hadn’t even realized it but she’d already finished her glass of water. However, now that she had been given the floor to voice out her concerns, her throat felt dry. Still, she swallowed as subtly as she could and said, “Well, it’s not a question but I just wanted to tell you that I just recently bought a new couch just in case you were planning on buying another one to replace that couch.”

“Duly noted. Anything else?”

“Why did you last roommate leave?” asked Sakura with a tilt of her head before following up her question. “I mean…If you don’t mind my asking, of course.”

Hatake shrugged and looked around the apartment. “It wasn’t bad or anything. We have been roommates for five years now but he simply found another place to move in with his fiancé.”

“Oh, okay then,” she said, nodding her head in understanding. “Well, how would we split the rent if ever?”

“50-50, if that’s okay with you. You won’t have to cash in any advances or deposits. I’ve been here for years, anyway. The total rent for this two-bedroom apartment is 12000 Ryo a month so we each pay 6000 Ryo plus split the bills in half?”

Sakura nodded once. “That seems understandable.”

Oh, it was more than understandable. She and Ino paid nearly as much but their apartment wasn’t nearly as good as this. The only reason the rent had been so high was because it was near the vicinity of three universities and was at the center of Leaf Village which made it accessible to almost everything. While Canopy Heights was located near the border of The Village, it was still one block away from the bus station and within walking distance of the best and cheapest food places in the Fire State.

It took them quite a while to cover all of Sakura’s concerns such as has there ever been reports of burglary in the building or around the neighborhood and even the quality of the super’s service in the building. She also discovered that he once worked as a head instructor and trainer at the Barkley K-9 Training Center but worked as a detective under the police department before his current job.

With all the questions swirling in her head, one had stood out from among the rest. “I’m sorry I’ve been throwing a lot of questions but don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”

Hatake regarded her for a while before he leaned towards her. “Well, given that you’re the last candidate and the other six I’ve interviewed for the room included a guy whose work required him to keep insects at home for observation and a woman who I am pretty sure sold illegal drugs for a living, you’re my best pick yet. More importantly, you’re the only person who didn’t ask whose room was bigger. But I guess I do have one last question,” he started as he reached for one side of his mask.

In one slow but graceful move, he finally revealed his face. He was quite handsome for someone who was 35 though his age clearly showed in his eyes. Hatake raised a brow at her and asked, “When can you move in?”


	2. Moving Day

**June 5**

 

Sakura looked around her old room which suddenly seemed so small compared to the room she would now be moving in. When Hatake had asked her when she could move in, it took her a while to recall her schedule but the next weekend seemed to be a good choice. In the past week, she was either working shifts at the hospital or busy packing. Since Ino had been working extra nights to save up for a new couch, she was hardly around to help Sakura wrap boxes in packing tape.

Once everything she owned had been sealed into a moving box the night before the movers arrived, Sakura plopped down on her couch in their living room and fell asleep. At the time, Ino must have been in the middle of her REM cycle, getting as much sleep as she could before she started another shift the next day. When Sakura woke up because Ino had accidentally closed the door to her bedroom a little too loud, the sun had already been up.

“It’s 11:23,” Ino told Sakura as she made her way to the bathroom. Her voice was unusually croaky but Sakura figured her soon-to-be former roommate was just really drained with all the extra shifts. “The movers will be here at 12PM. Do you want to take a shower before me?”

Sakura propped herself up on her elbow and rubbed her eyes with one hand. “You have a shift across The Village at 12PM. You go first; the movers can wait.”

 It didn’t take Ino very long to bathe and Sakura soon went in after her. Of course, not before she asked the moving guys where they were. Apparently, they had been caught in traffic somewhere along Corona Avenue which gave Sakura just enough time for a decent shower and to check her stuff in case she missed anything. When she got out of the shower, Ino had already been in uniform and was merely drying her hair in the living room.

“If you’re leaving at 12, I can book an Uber and drop you off at your new place,” offered the blonde as she straightened a thick clump of her hair.

Sakura rubbed her hair dry with a smaller towel than the one she had been wearing as she walked into her bedroom where she laid out the set of clothes she was going to wear today. From the bedroom, Ino heard her say out loud, “Thanks, Ino, but I have to ride with the moving truck just so I’m sure nothing will be out of place when I get to Canopy Heights. Plus, you’re already running late. Dr. Tsunade’s going to flip if she finds out you’re late a third time this month.”

Sakura thanked her lucky stars she’d been quick to slip into her underwear because just as she had discarded her towel and was about to squeeze into a pair of jeans, she heard Ino’s voice by the doorway…not that they each had anything to hide from each other but Sakura still appreciated the privacy.

“Fine,” she heard her roommate sigh. “Well, I have to go. The bus comes in 10 minutes.”

Sakura had yet to put on a shirt but she didn’t have a big bust to be conscious about so she faced the blonde who was already on her way to pull her into a hug. With arms wide open, the pink-haired woman welcomed the embrace and they both stood there for a while, trying to hold back their tears. Of course, they both failed but Ino had been the first one to pull away and wipe her face.

“I can’t believe you’re moving out,” said Ino, her voice threatening to crack. “We’ve been roomies for six years. I don’t know how I would ever have survived graduation without you with me, Sakura. I’d be pregnant by now if you were never there to scare off every guy I brought home.”

Sakura laughed. “And I don’t know how I’d ever gotten over that breakup with Sasuke if you weren’t there to shove vodka down my throat.”

“That’s what sisters are for,” shrugged the blonde. Her teary sapphire eyes moved away from Sakura and around the empty bedroom. “Well, I guess this is it. It’s the end of an era.”

The pinkette rolled her eyes. “You’ve been watching way too much _Across The Hall_ ,” she droned. “So, what do you plan on doing with this room once Sai moves in? I doubt you’re sleeping in separate beds since I’m sure you two will literally be joined at the hip every night.”

“I don’t know,” Ino sighed as she scrunched her nose. “Most likely turn it into an art studio so he doesn’t have to make a mess in the living room. You worked so hard to keep that hardwood floor perfect that I just might break up with him if he spills even a drop of watercolor and—shit, is that the time? The bus will be there any minute. I have to go, forehead,” said Ino as she planted a kiss on Sakura’s cheek. “Call me when you get to your new place, okay?”

“I will, _mom_ ,” teased Sakura. “Go already. Be safe.”

“I’ll miss you,” Ino shouted as she ran for the front door.

“You too,” Sakura called after her but by the time she had gotten the sentiment out, the front door already slammed shut.

At that very minute, Sakura felt emptier than her bedroom. Only the quiet was left and even she wasn’t able to savor it as her phone dinged and vibrated on one of the moving boxes. The moving truck was just about to round the corner so she hurried to put on the shirt and carry the boxes out in the hallway. It wasn’t very long until she heard the moving guys climbing the stairs and she instructed them to get her work desk and her couch first so they could move the bed out easier.

It took about an hour to load all her things in the truck given that there were only two movers and a lot of her stuff but had it been any ordinary woman, it would have taken twice that long. Thank god for her natural strength.

A few minutes past 1PM, they were already on the road. They stopped on the way to pick up some burgers for lunch so they could eat while driving. She wanted to finish moving before dinner because she didn’t feel like treating the moving guys to lasagna. Halfway to Canopy Heights, she sent Hatake Kakashi a message.

 **To** : Hatake Kakashi  
**Delivered** : 1:37PM  
**Message** : I’ll be there a little after 2.

 **From** : Hatake Kakashi  
**Received** : 1:39PM  
**Message** : Sure. Tell me when you’re two blocks away so I can get ready.

It took another half hour for them to finally reach Canopy Heights. As soon as Sakura saw the building from five blocks away, she did as Kakashi had asked and updated him. The truck pulled into the driveway by the steps of the apartment. As promised, she sent Ino a message confirming that she had just arrived.

As soon as she hit send, she sa the front door swing open as Naruto was just about to exit the building. He was wearing an old black shirt and orange jersey shorts from his varsity basketball years in college.

“Naruto!” she called just as she hopped off the passenger seat of the moving truck.

The blond waved at her and jogged over. “Hey, I was just about to go to the gym. I didn’t know you were moving in today. Need some help?”

“Hey, don’t let me keep you,” she waved dismissively. “I’ve got the moving guys plus Hatake-san’s on his way down to help, too. We’ll be done in an hour.”

“You’ll be done faster if I help,” countered Naruto. “This can be my exercise for the day.”

“If you insist.” Her eyes caught something silver in the corner of her eye. She saw Hatake crossing the hallway through the windows of the building and greeted him as he exited. He was in a similar getup as the one he had interviewed her with only this time, he was wearing navy jogging pants. “Hatake-san. Naruto’s here to help as well.”

Naruto looked in the silver-haired man’s direction and nodded. “Kakashi-san.”

“Naruto-san,” he greeted in return. His visible eye turned to look at the movers who were unlocking the back of the truck. He descended from the steps and gestured to their general direction. “So, where do we start?”

One of the movers scanned the contents of the truck before he pointed to Sakura’s twin-sized bed frame. “If we get everything out in the hallway and living area, it’d be much harder to bring in the bed so I guess we’re pulling out the frame and the mattress first.”

Sakura nodded in agreement and instructed the movers to pull out the bed frame so the guys could carry it out first. She volunteered herself to bring the mattress up and told the movers that they could bring up the couch. Naturally, she wasn’t going to let any strangers in her bedroom.

 “Are you sure you can take the mattress on your own?” asked Hatake as the movers handed them the bed frame. “You can help Naruto-san with the frame and I’ll—“

Naruto cut him off, knowing that letting him go on wasn’t a good idea. “Don’t worry, Kakashi-san. Sakura’s freaky strong.”

Without even paying them any mind, Sakura took the mattress from the movers and carried the mattress all the way up the front steps of the building. When she realized no one had started up the stairs just yet, she turned back to them and raised an eyebrow. “Do you need help with that?”

The blond lifted his side of the frame and looked to the man who lived across the hall as he said for only the two of them to hear, “I’d start carrying. You don’t know her yet but she can really step on your ego if she wanted to.”

“I heard that, Naruto,” she shouted out as she pulled open the building’s front door with one hand while supporting the humongous mattress with her other arm.

Thanks to the extra manpower that Naruto was, they were able to unload the truck earlier than she initially thought. An hour later after the truck parked in front of Canopy Heights, Sakura handed the moving people their payment and they were off. It was only as she watched them drive away that she realized that she had just finished transferring all her possessions from her home of six years…to another apartment.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Naruto was helping Hatake Kakashi move her furniture out of the hallway and into the apartment. Figuring it was time to settle in, the pink-haired woman walked through the building’s front doors. It was strange having to walk the halls and climb the stairs not as Naruto’s visitor but as a new tenant. Soon enough, she’ll have to get used to the measure of the stairs and the feel of the concrete floors under her feet.

As she rounded the corner to the hallway of the second floor, she saw her new roommate carrying the other end of her couch, the last of her furniture, in their apartment. The only stuff left behind were bags of her clothes and boxes of her other effects—which was still a lot. The bags would be easy to wheel in, she thought, so she went for one of the boxes filled with souvenirs and mementos to move inside.

Carefully, she settled the box on her couch, which the two had already moved to where Hatake Kakashi’s now-absent couch was positioned. Her neighbor and new roommate were standing in the kitchen, each with a glass of water in hand.

“Hey, Sakura, we already moved in the dresser, bed frame and the mattress in your room,” said the blond right before he finished the glass of water Hatake Kakashi had just handed him in one gulp. “I gotta run. The guys at the station are meeting up for a couple of drinks in a few and I still gotta get cleaned up.” He placed the empty glass on the kitchen counter and looked to her roommate. “Thanks for the water, Kakashi-san.”

Her college friend waved them both goodbye before returning to his apartment across the hall and leaving her and Hatake Kakashi to themselves. Without making a sound, she slid into the dining chair closest to the front door.

“Water?” the man offered, opening the fridge once again.

Sakura nodded meekly as she accepted his offer of ice cold water.

“You should take a few minutes to rest,” suggested Kakashi as he walked around the kitchen counter. “I can move the rest of your stuff in.”

She ceased drinking and left the glass on the dining table, running after him. “No, no, no. I can’t let you carry all this in. I should help.”

He didn’t insist to do it his way, which she appreciated very much. One by one, the boxes disappeared from the hallway until she was able to wheel in the bag that carried all her clothes. That’s the last of it, she realized upon hearing the sound of the apartment door being shut close.

“So, do you have any specific arrangements in mind?” he mused loudly, scanning the amount of boxes now strewn about the living room. “We can move the couch closer to the television if you want to make room for your desk.”

She shook her head. “That’s quite alright,” answered Sakura as she walked over to the desk in question. “This is actually my work table. It used to be in the living room at my old place. Didn’t get much work done then so I think it would be best if I moved it into the bedroom.”

Without missing a beat, he approached the table and readied himself to carry the other end with his back to her bedroom door. Sakura lifted her side of the table and they moved slowly and carefully to get the desk in her room. With her bed already occupying the middle of the room and her dresser placed arbitrarily beside it, they had no choice but to position the table on the free space by the door.

As he settled the table in place, he patted his hands together and looked around the room. He said nothing before he let himself out. Sakura followed suit, deciding it would be best if she got most of her belongings out of the living room and into the bedroom where she could sort them out without bothering him.

“Is there anything else you need moved in your room?” asked Hatake.

“No, just the desk. I think I can sort all this on my own now, thanks,” she assured him, taking one box into her arms. When she settled it on the foot of her bare mattress, she opened the top and found the coffeemaker inside the box of her mementos… Wow, all that packing must have exhausted her last night for her to misplace something as big as a coffeemaker into a box filled with fridge magnets, key chains and stuff.

She came back out and found him leaning against the kitchen counter while on his phone. “Hey, is there any place you want the coffeemaker?”

He considered the appliance in her hands for a while before taking it from her and placing it next to the microwave. He stepped back, looked at it from a distance and moved the coffeemaker a few inches further before he settled for it. Sakura thanked him and gave him her blessing to use it whenever he wanted.

It didn’t take long to move the rest of her stuff into her bedroom. However, just as she was about to close the door and start to rearrange her new room, she heard him call from the kitchen. Her head peeked from the opening of her bedroom door.

“I was about to order in for dinner in case you wanted anything,” offered Hatake as he lazily gestured to his phone.

Sakura considered the options but realized she didn’t want to impose. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“I was thinking of getting a large meaty pizza from Penelope’s but if we can split it if you have another flavor in mind.”

“One large meaty sounds great,” she said, giving him a thumbs up.

When they finally agreed, he began dialing on his phone while she started moving her dressed from the middle of the room to the wall adjacent to the window. She figured that when she got the time, she would get Naruto to hammer in some nails so she could hang some photos. She wheeled her full-body mirror next to the dresser to make it easier to try on outfits.

After deciding on that set-up, she moved to look at her bed which Naruto and Hatake positioned to face the door. When she realized that the room was just like a mirrored version of her old room, she figured it would be best to stick to that to at least help her with familiarizing herself with her bedroom.

Opposite the dresser and the mirror, she moved the bed to face it and pushed it against the wall. She carried her bedside drawer to the far corner of the room and it fit quite snuggly. After which, she realized that it wouldn’t look exactly like a mirrored version of her old room since she opted to keep her work desk inside but with all the space by the door, she decided it looked quite nice there and if anyone were to peek into her room, at least they wouldn’t be able to see whatever she was up to on her laptop.

Plus, there was a nail on the wall which was perfect because it was the perfect place to hang her cork board.

When she was content with the arrangement, she began unpacking her stuff, starting with her clothes which were the easiest to put away. She left her jackets inside her luggage bags, figuring it would be best if she let them hang under her coat-rack-slash-shelf once Naruto could help her out.

Outside, she heard a knock on the front door which could only mean that dinner was here. Sakura patted her hands on her jeans only to realize just how dusty all the boxes have been. It would probably be best if she cleaned up quickly first before getting her hands on some pizza.

She grabbed an old shirt, a pair of baggy shorts and a towel on her way out.

As she exited her room, she found that Hatake had just closed the door with a large pizza box in his hand. He looked at her curiously before she explained, “I just have to freshen up. I’ll be out in a minute. How much do I owe you for the pizza, by the way?”

“It’s okay,” he simply answered. “I’ll take this one for now. You can go ahead and clean up.”

Sakura did as she was told and slipped into the bathroom. She just only noticed that it was her first time in this bathroom thought it looked a lot like Naruto’s from across the hall. Perhaps that was just the architect’s standard layout for the bathrooms in the building, she thought. Sink to the left, a toilet to the right close to the door and a bathtub with a shower in the far corner.

The faucet and shower knobs were also similar to that of Naruto’s bathroom so she would have already figured out her new bathroom before she even used it. After a brisk shower while avoiding getting her hair wet (because who wants to sleep with damp hair?), she changed into something more comfortable and left the bathroom.

A pitcher of orange juice, two newly washed glasses and a pair of small plates were set on the dining table beside the box of pizza. He had just turned on the television and put it on the six o’clock news and sat himself on his old armchair. She doubt he noticed that she was already out of the bathroom as his eyes were focused on the screen.

In one quick and quiet move, she opened the door to her bedroom, threw her dirty clothes to rest on top of her bare mattress and slid the door closed. It was only then that she caught his attention.

“Dinner’s ready,” he greeted, gesturing loosely at the general direction of the dining table.

The two of them proceeded to dig in on the pizza quietly. Sakura took a seat at the dining table while Kakashi stayed on his feet and instead resting his body weight against the kitchen counter so he could continue to watch television. Aside from the two news reporters reading and introducing the news, there had been no other sound. Sakura wasn’t exactly great at small talk and it didn’t seem like her new roommate was one for talking about the weather to fill in the quiet.

What would she talk to him about, anyway? He was 35 and she was 22. From what Sakura gathered so far, they had nearly nothing in common save for the fact that they both knew Naruto and she couldn’t even remember the blond ever bring up his neighbor up until she told him she was looking for a new place so she concluded that they hadn’t interacted all that much before.

Before Sakura knew it, the two of them had gone through the entire pizza and the six o’clock news finally made way for a celebrity talk show which Sakura didn’t really care for. As soon as they both finished, she offered to clean up while Hatake excused himself to go to the bathroom. While he was gone, she quickly folded and stuffed the pizza box into the trash bin under the sink and washed the pitcher and glasses they had used.

Her new roommate stepped out of the bathroom just as she was wiping the pitcher dry. “I have to go out to buy bread for tomorrow morning,” he said, wiping his house slippers on the mat by the bathroom door. “Is there anything you need from the store?”

Sakura shook her head. “Not really but thanks. I still have a lot of unpacking to do so I’ll be in my room. Thanks for dinner again.”

“No problem.”

He traveled back to his bedroom, probably to get a coat before he went out, and Sakura retreated in the confines of her new bedroom. Hatake didn’t seem to be the type to simply barge in a stranger’s bedroom but she still locked the door behind her before she began unpacking another box. Outside, she heard the front door shut which meant her roommate must have left for the store.

It didn’t take more than 20 minutes before she heard him return but after she heard him through the wall as she shuffled around for a few seconds in the bathroom, Hatake’s footsteps indicated that he returned to his bedroom. Sakura spied at the light from the small gap under her door which had been turned off now apparently.

Sakura checked her phone for the time and found that it had only been a few minutes past 8PM. She wondered whether he simply preferred to keep to himself in the bedroom or did he really turn in this early. Was she going to be getting ready for bed at this hour when she turned 35? Well, given that the nature of her work required her to stock up on as much energy as she could, she probably would be in bed by 7:30 in a few years.

She shook the thoughts out of her head and focused on arranging all her stuff when she remembered that she had an early shift at the hospital tomorrow. By half-past 9PM, she had completely emptied her moving boxes and folded them neatly to shove under her study desk. She took another quick trip to the bathroom to ready herself for bed and tucked herself in under her sheets.

Unfortunately, no matter how exhausted she was from moving, Sakura stayed awake for another couple hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you got a chance to take a look at the apartment "design" (if you can even call it that) on my Twitter account! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	3. First Night

**June 6**

 

Flu season wasn’t exactly Sakura’s favorite time of the year. It didn’t really help that she wasn’t able to get enough hours of rest last night so when one of the other nurses told her to take a break after working her ass off since she got at the hospital, she welcomed the few minutes she allowed herself to take. Since the staff locker room was filled with people taking their late lunches, she decided to hang out at the nurses’ station instead.

At the station, she found Shizune working behind the counter. Rin, on the other hand, seemed to be catching her breath beside Shizune after running around the floor for five hours. Sakura entered the nurses’ station through the small filing office behind it and took a seat beside the brunette who was apparently watching the film playing on the television by the waiting area.

“I so love Eriza in this movie,” Rin commented as soon as Sakura took a seat on one of the swiveling chairs and rolled beside her. “She’s such a great actress, don’t you think?”

Sakura shrugged when the brunette turned to her for an answer. “She’s okay but I think she was better in _Another Apology_ ,” replied the pink-haired nurse as she stifled a yawn but the effort did not go unnoticed by both Rin and Shizune.

“Woah,” mused the raven as she set aside another patient’s folder. Shizune rotated her chair until she was facing Sakura. “Didn’t get that much sleep at your new place, huh?”

The older woman’s observation was an understatement. After a whole day of moving furniture around, you’d think Sakura would have been out of it as soon as she plopped down on her mattress. However, the most rest Sakura had gotten all night is when her brain finally let her drift at 2AM only to wake her up some time before 4AM. With nothing to do, she resigned herself to taking an early shower and decided to get some breakfast on the way to the hospital. Her shift began at 8AM but, with any luck, she just might find the staff room more comfortable than her new bedroom and catch some last-minute Z’s.

While she was in the shower, she thought she heard the door open and close. The living room was as dark as it had been when she snuck out of her bedroom for her morning shower so it must have been that her roommate had gotten up with every intention to use the bathroom and heard her using it. In any case, she paid it no mind and quickly got dressed for work.

“I had to sleep in the staff room before my shift just to stock up on enough energy,” groaned Sakura. “I’m running on four cups of coffee and a whole bottle of energy drink right now.”

“Well, it took me some getting used to my new apartment too when I first moved in,” remarked the raven with a knowing look. “Good luck.”

Rin’s eyes widened at the news. “You moved out of Ino’s? Where are you staying now?”

“Yeah, my old college friend found me a spare room I could rent in the same building. I just moved in yesterday,” explained Sakura as she pushed herself further into her seat and sank until she could position her head comfortable on the backrest. “It’s not that far from here. Canopy Heights is just one bus ride away.”

The brunette nodded quietly, taking in the information. On the other hand, Shizune raised her eyebrows. “I heard you’re living with a guy now?”

“Really? Is he cute?”

The pinkette scoffed. “He’s 35, guys.”

Rin shot her a puzzled look. “ _I’m_ 35\. Do you really think we care how old he is? Plus, that’s not really answering the question. Is. He. Cute?”

Sakura threw her hands in the air. “I honestly don’t know. He’s not bad to look at if that’s what you’re asking.” Of course, that was kind of a lie. Her new roommate was handsome in every sense but he simply didn’t appeal to her in that way. If she’d been honest with the two other nurses, however, she knew they’d never let it go so she settled for a neutral answer.

“Fine, answer me this,” continued the brunette, still not quite hearing the answer she was looking for. “Would Ino sleep with him?”

The question really was a testament to what kind of woman Ino was before she met Sai, Sakura mused inwardly before considering her best friend’s taste in men based on the wide array of male specimen she’d dated during their time together. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she answered, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Interesting,” Rin mused, her eyebrows shot up and down.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the brunette. “Let it go. I said Ino would probably consider sleeping with him. I wasn’t speaking on my behalf. I don’t see him like that.”

“You know who _does_ see you like that,” interrupted Shizune as she gazed over another patient file. She slid her gaze over to Sakura’s emerald eyes and waved the folder in front of her. “Room 614.”

Rin’s expression turned sour, as if she had just heard a dirty word. “Dislocated Shoulder Guy? Ugh, I hate him,” growled the woman, crossing her arms tightly against her chest. “I don’t have the best bedside manners but I swear that guy is so rude and he just likes pissing off all the nurses out of spite!”

As she continued to rant about her experience, the pinkette tried to recall her interactions with the patient in question. In the middle of Rin’s rant, Sakura thought out loud and cut the other woman’s ramblings short. “I don’t remember him being so difficult.”

“That’s—“ Rin’s comment was cut off by the ringing of the desk phone. The raven smiled sheepishly and turned her back to them to get the phone and Rin was able to continue. “That’s because he likes you. He kept asking for you last night and refused to get his blood pressure checked unless the ‘pretty nurse with the pretty pink hair’ was the one taking it.”

Though she was a little flattered, Sakura laughed, refusing to believe that Room 614 was actually as big an ass as they let on. “Well, he can ask for me all he wants but it’s never going to happen 1) he’s my patient and 2) he’s not my type.”

Shizune placed the phone back on the receiver and turned to Sakura with a mischievous upward curl of her lips. “Why don’t you tell him that yourself? I just got off the phone with his lawyer and he wants to know how soon we could discharge Deidara.”

There was no helping it. With the way Rin was huffing in frustration in her seat and the fact that Shizune was left in charge of the nurses’ station tonight, there was no one else among the three of them who could go up and check on him. Hesitantly, Sakura got out of her seat and made her way to the said room. So much for her well-deserved break.

 

* * *

 

Sakura was quick to slip out after her reliever had arrived. As much as she loved her job, she didn’t want to be stuck another two hours in the hospital after Tsunade catches her halfway out the door and gives her a whole new to-do list to finish. Luckily, a bus came no longer than five minutes since she arrived at the bus stop because the lack of sleep was starting to take its toll.

Thank god, the bus had dropped her off a little ways beyond the bus stop by Canopy Heights and got off in front of the supermarket because she had almost forgotten about doing the groceries. God knows how hard it was to quietly snap the cap of her roommate’s shampoo back so he wouldn’t know she’d used a little of it this morning. How could she forget to pick up toiletries last night?

It was but a quick trip. She’d simply picked up all that she needed—shampoo, conditioner, soap, napkins… It was a little more than what she was going for, she realized when the bagger handed her two paper bags after she handed her payment. Walking a few blocks back to the apartment with both hands occupied and her vision partially obscured by the huge paper bags was a challenge but she’d made it back in front of the building in one piece.

“Sakura,” he heard a voice from down the corner. The pinkette, lowered the bags and found her blond friend on the other end of the block. Naruto walked towards her and gave her a boyish grin as he spoke, “I dare you to open the front door.”

“If I do it, you have to give me the punching bag in your apartment,” she quipped, readjusting her grip on both paper bags.

Naruto frowned at the proposition and held out his arms so she could hand him one of the bags. They knew fully well that Sakura would be able to accomplish any dare had she been motivated enough or had a reward been at stake. Though, deep inside, she was glad to have run into him when she did because she was positive she was going to fall on her ass trying to get up the stairs.

When they reached both their front doors, Naruto set down the bag by her apartment’s door and reached for his bag to find his keys just as she was opening her apartment.

“So, how was work today?” she asked nonchalantly even though she was trying to smoothly opened the jammed locked.

Naruto, too busy looking for his own set of keys in his bag to even notice her struggling with the key. “Same old,” he commented. “We saved a cat from a tree and did an inspection on this reported gas leak. It was a slow day although for everyone’s sake, I hope things never become exciting at the station.”

She let out a chuckle as she tried pulling and rotating the key in the lock and was quite surprised that her little trick had worked. She made a mental note on how to properly open the front door as she pushed it open. The living area was dark and she noticed a pair of shoes missing from her roommate’s rack which meant he probably hadn’t come home just yet or he had and he stepped outside for a bit. Meanwhile, behind her, Naruto was already in his apartment though he’d left the door wide open so he would still be able to talk to Sakura.

 “I don’t think Hatake-san gets home until before 10,” said Naruto from across the hall as Sakura switched the main lights on. “You could have dinner with me if you want. I’ve got loads of instant ramen in the cupboard.”

Sakura disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the apartment door open as well. She placed the grocery bags on the counter before reaching into the fridge for something to drink. “I’ve had instant ramen at work earlier but I did buy a plate of sushi. I’ll be over in a sec.” She made sure her voice was loud enough to travel to Naruto’s apartment. After a quick drink, she dug into her groceries and found two cartons of juices. “Hey, Naruto! Do you want orange or apple juice?”

“Orange!”

“Gotcha!” She reached for the orange carton then reached inside the other bag for the plate of rolls she mentioned earlier.

She placed everything she needed on the counter and ran to the bedroom, quickly changing out of the white uniform and slipping into an old university shirt and a pair of gym shorts. Making sure she everything she needed on the way out, Sakura locked the door and crossed over to the other side of the hallway.

As she entered, she saw Naruto in the corner of the room in nothing but his boxers as he changed into a pair of the same jersey shorts he wore when he helped her up yesterday. It didn’t bother her in the slightest—she’d walked in on him at worse situations when they were still in the university. The blond, however, jumped when he turned around and found that Sakura had already made her way into the small kitchenette area in his studio apartment. 

Naruto followed her, closing the door on his way, and looked over her shoulder as she unwrapped the plate of sushi. “You trust grocery sushi?” He asked, a bit worried as all prejudice of pre-packed food crossed in the back of his head.

With a shrug, she answered, “Yeah. You remember Chouji, right? Ino’s friend? He used to come over at the apartment all the time with these and they’re pretty decent. I remembered he said he got it at Tamimi Superstore when I got off the bus so I checked it out. You have ice for the juice, right?”

“Yep,” he said with a huge smile which Sakura missed because she was setting up her meal. “Lemme just heat some water for my ramen.”

Naruto reached for his water-heating pot and plugged it in before he reached into the cupboard. When Sakura looked up, she wasn’t surprised to find a whole array of flavored ramen stocked messily in the overhead cabinet. The blond took a step back, examining the whole mess as if deciding which flavor to eat tonight.

When he finally settled for the pork flavored noodles, he closed the cupboard and stood beside Sakura to prep his meal as well. The two made small talk as they worked on the kitchen counter. When they were both done, they moved to the couch in front of Naruto’s bed and turned on the television and talked over a volleyball game.

 “Oh my god,” she said, breaking the momentary silence that filled the air as they ran out of stuff about work to bring up. “I forgot how much I missed watching the sports channel.”

He quirked a curious brow at her. “Didn’t Ino get a TV about a year ago?”

Sakura nodded once. “Mm-hmm, but when you’ve got a roommate like Ino, all you can ever do is hope she comes home late from her shift so you won’t have to watch all those drama and talk shows she always puts on. I haven’t watched a volleyball or basketball game in years! And since we graduated, I haven’t even seen a single episode of _Elite Roster Arena_!”

The news almost had Naruto choking on his noodles. Sakura patted him on the back, hoping it wasn’t as serious as he was making it look. Thankfully, he was able to reach for his glass of orange juice and drink it away. His expression remained as shocked as the minute she told him about not being able to watch the professional wrestling series.

“You’re kidding!” He said, still not believing what she’d just told him. In college, Sakura would come over to his dorm room for the weekly episode of the said show. Hell, it was Sakura who even introduced him to the show. “Sakura, you love _ERA_ and you’re the reason why I’m obsessed with pro-wrestling! Oh man, so much has happened since we graduated! There’s so much you need to catch up on!”

Not being able to watch her favorite show of all time never bothered her—with the busy life that met her upon exiting the university life. However, now that she thought about it, she felt a little bad for herself. How much had she missed out on ever since she started working? Though she kept herself somewhat updated when it came to the wrestling scene, it was a lot more exciting when she watched it herself.

A wry laugh escaped her as she spoke. “Well, the hospitals are doing a lot better now staff-wise so I guess I’ll be getting a little more time to catch up.”

“Why don’t you come over on Friday? Let’s start catching you up,” Naruto offered before his eyes widened as if he had just come up with something better. “Hey, why don’t you come over every week? You know, just like in college only better because at least now I don’t have a roommate to pester me about giving him your number.”

Sakura thought back, trying to pick out the right face to go with his roommate’s name. Naruto only ever had two roommates—first was Kankuro who graduated when they were sophomore and then came that freshman Konohamaru. She couldn’t recall Kankuro ever expressing any interest in her but she did catch up on Konohamaru pretty quick with the way he’d stammer while finding the right greeting when he chanced upon her in their dorm room on Friday nights.

“Konohamaru wasn’t that bad,” she commented, going back to her meal.  “Anyway, weekend wrestling sounds good. I could bring over some beers if you want.”

The blond waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it. I always have a stock in the fridge,” he said. “You could bring over something to eat though. I never liked ramen and beer together.”

“Perfect. I just bought some chips and other snacks. I’ll bring them on—nice!” Sakura pointed to the television where she just witnessed a beautiful spike by one of the players which the other team wasn’t able to properly receive. When her high was over, she looked back at Naruto sheepishly. “Sorry, I got distracted. My attention span’s a little off today since I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Naruto finished slurping up the noodles he’d put in his mouth when Sakura turned her attention back to him. “Oh yeah, how’s you first night at your new place by the way?” Naruto said…or at least, that’s what she made out of the syllables he made with his full mouth.

“It was good,” came her immediate reply. There wasn’t much to think back on since hardly anything interesting happened. “We split a pizza he ordered in for dinner and not much happened after that since I had to turn in early for my shift. Didn’t get to sleep as early as I hoped I would though. I slept way too late and woke a few hours too early.”

“Why? Does he snore or something?”

She shot him a look that made him think he was absurd for thinking that. “No, no, no,” Sakura said. “It’s just that I’m still familiarizing myself with the place, you know? I hope I get more sleep tonight that I did last night. But, no, it wasn’t Hatake-san. He’s really quiet for a roommate. I hardly even noticed he was there.”

He then nodded in understanding. Having lived across the silver-haired man for two years, he could easily say the same thing about him as a neighbor. “I haven’t seen much of him either,” he commented. “I mean yesterday when we were helping you with your stuff—that’s probably the most I’ve seen of him and that’s combining all two years of living here.”

“Well, maybe he’s just really quiet as a person,” she wondered out loud. “What about his old roommate?”

“Oh, I saw a lot more of Asuma-san,” recalled the blond. “He was really nice and he even introduced me to his girlfriend when I ran into him once downstairs. He also gave me some banana loaf that she baked and it’s the best I’ve ever had in my life. I mean it. All other banana loaves have been invalidated. But yeah, from the stuff Asuma-san told me, I think he and Kakashi-san go way back. Maybe they’re like frat bros or something.”

Now, Sakura didn’t know her knew roomie well enough just yet but she definitely didn’t peg him to be the fraternity kind of guy so she dismissed Naruto’s last thought and instead said, “Yeah, well I think that girlfriend you mentioned is the reason he moved out. Hatake-san said his roommate moved out because he was getting a place with his fiancé so I’m guessing he already proposed.”

“That’s great! I was actually wondering when it was going to happen,” Naruto said, slurping the last of his ramen straight from the bowl. “But I do remember running into Kakashi-san outside some weeks ago. He had a bouquet and some flowers and at first I thought he finally found himself a girlfriend or whatever but I never saw him with the same woman twice so that must have been for the proposal.”

Her interest was piqued though she felt kind of bad nosing in about her new roommate. She would love to get to know him herself but he seemed to have this walls around him and she wasn’t sure if he was ever going to let them down around her soon so she settled for getting to know him via what their neighbor knew about him.

She set the plate on the floor and scooted closer to Naruto, her guilt for being so nosy making her feel as if Hatake Kakashi could be listening through the door right now. Her voice was quieter than it had been earlier when she asked, “Wait, so he doesn’t have a girlfriend?”

“Well, I don’t think so,” answered the blond with a shrug. A sly grin then graced his expression and he leaned in to nudge Sakura. “Why, you got a thing for older men?”

He received a gentle shove and he backed into his side of the couch again. “No, you idiot. I was just asking. Does he bring girls home?”

“I’ve only seen it happen around three times in the two years I’ve stayed here but there were mornings when a some woman would leave his apartment. I don’t remember ever seeing them again. I see him outside with girls but only like a once in a blue moon and this is a really small town. So, yeah, I don’t think the old man’s got anyone special. Maybe when he’s bored or when he runs out of things to do...He does women.”

Well, that was acceptable. From what she had just heard, he didn’t seem to be a serial lover so that was good news. She didn’t have to wake up every now and then to find some strange woman wearing his shirt in the kitchen drinking coffee or helping herself to some toast. Plus, Hatake promised he’d notify her if he ever had guests over so she wouldn’t be caught off-guard. 

When Naruto decided he was done with his meal, he got up and picked up what was left of Sakura’s dinner from the floor. She offered to wash the glasses for him but Naruto insisted that she was a guest and suggested that she sit back, relax and enjoy the game.

 After Naruto finished the dishes, Sakura stayed over for another hour to finish the rest of the volleyball match and the newly bought carton of juice she’d brought over. Though Naruto occasionally played beach volleyball in college, he wasn’t a big fan of the sport itself and busied himself by scrolling on social media, showing Sakura hilarious photos and posts every now and then.

The volleyball ended sooner than Sakura had wanted it to but only because she was a bit hesitant about going back to her new apartment. It didn’t exactly feel like home yet and Naruto’s room was so much more familiar to her than her new place. Alas, the night had to come to an end and Naruto had to turn in sooner or later to get up early for work tomorrow.

Finally getting the strength to get up on her feet, Sakura bent down to kiss Naruto on the cheek and bid him goodnight before the blond crawled from the couch to his bed. As she let herself out of his studio apartment, she was greeted with the sight of her silver-haired roommate in his work uniform—which had been a navy collared shirt and dark pants covered in a very light layer of dog fur—checking his pockets and his bag for his keys.

He didn’t seem to notice that it was her who had just come out into the hallway behind him.

“You want me to get the door for you, Hatake-san?” Sakura asked quietly so as not to startle him.

Hatake turned to her, a little caught off-guard that it wasn’t the usual rowdy blond kid from across the hall who’d spoken. He glanced one last time in his bag before looking at her with his visible dark eye. “Thank you,” he said quietly, moving away from the door to give her some room.

Sakura quickly unlocked the door, remembering to do her little trick from earlier. She pushed the door open and automatically reached for the light switch by the door. The first thing she saw at the corner of her eye was the groceries she had left on the counter. She hurriedly turned to Hatake and gestured to the paper bags.

“I picked up a couple of stuff from Tamimi Superstore,” shared the pinkette as she made her way over to the counter. She reached into the paper bag and pulled the items one by one while Hatake placed his bag on the dining table. “Cookies, juice, some chips and…that’s for me,” she remarked quietly as she rolled the paper bag to seal her napkins as well as her shampoo and soap. She didn’t want him to wonder just what she’d used in the shower this morning. “I also bought oatmeal and a tray of eggs.”

Her roommate regarded the items for a moment before he gave her a small smile. “I was planning on picking up some eggs later tonight,” he said just as quietly as he had thanked her in the hallway. “ Thank you. Would you like me to help you put them away?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I can figure out which goes where. Besides, you look exhausted so you go ahead and get some rest. I’ll take care of these.”

The man nodded once before dragging his feet back into his bedroom. When he came out again, he was carrying his bath towel with him with a few articles of clothing settled on top of it. Sakura had just finished folding and putting the paper bags in one of the cabinets under the counter. As he shut the bathroom door behind him, Sakura grabbed the bag that carried her napkins and went into her room with no intentions of ever coming out again tonight.

It was only a little past 10PM but if she wanted to get more shut-eye than last night, she would have to start trying this early. Her mind was a bit hesitant to let her fall asleep in such an unfamiliar place but the exhaustion from a whole day’s shift overtook her and she was out in a few minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I number of people have taken an interest in this fic so I'm doing my best to keep writing. It's been so hard for me lately to ever write about anything but this fic has saved my brain from totally dying. Let me know what you think and I'll see you all in the next episode!


	4. Weekly Nightcap

**June 10**

 

 

Friday could not come fast enough. Time flew by quickly when she was at the hospital, busy tending to other people but the awkwardness that followed when she came home to her new apartment which she shared with an enigmatic man made the days seem to stretch longer than they should.

She would really love to get to know Hatake Kakashi a little better and she was sure he’d let her if she just asked but Sakura was afraid of looking to nosy or prying into something that may not be her business. So, instead, she learned more about him through observation…and whatever else information Naruto could give her.

It was Tuesday morning when she learned that Kakashi went out for a jog. The morning after that, she realized it was part of his morning routine and that he came back no later than 6:30 in the morning. Naruto told her on Wednesday night that he usually runs laps around the block and that he used to run with his old roommate.

Thankfully, she was saved one night of awkwardness when she switched shifts with another nurse. On Thursday night, she clocked in at Leaf Village Medical Center for a 24-hour shift. Thankfully, the nurse she switched shifts with wasn’t assigned to the emergency room so she was able to catch a half an hour’s worth of rest in the middle of her shift.

It had been a slow night since there weren’t a lot of patients who needed constant attention but since the hospital felt more like home to her at the moment than her actual apartment, she didn’t mind the long hours. When the sun came up and most of the patients had woken up, Sakura was constantly on her feet once more, losing track of time in the whirlwind of duties she had to attend to.

When her shift ended, she met with Naruto for dinner. They settled for Ichiraku’s, a small diner just a few blocks away from Canopy Heights which the blond claims to have the best ramen he had ever tasted in his entire life. From what Sakura gathered, he seemed to be a regular customer as he was already on a first name basis with everyone who worked there.

After placing their orders at the counter, they settled for a two-seater table by the window. There were still a few tables available but Sakura had the sense to consider the fact that it was dinner time and other customers might need the four-seaters more than they did.

“This is actually a nice place,” mused Sakura as she took in the oriental and minimalist fusion vibe of the place. There was some traditional folksy tune quietly playing in the background that seemed to make the atmosphere all the more relaxing. “This is just what I need after a long shift.”

“Where were you working tonight?” Naruto asked before sipping on the complimentary glass of tap water.

“I’m supposed to be at Konoha Doctors but I changed shifts with this nurse who called in sick last night so I covered for her at Leaf Medical instead,” she explained before letting out a groan. “Ino was ticked at me too for not telling her I wasn’t going to make it to KDH. This was supposed to be the first time we were going to see each other after I moved out.”

Naruto chuckled, possibly imagining smoke coming out of Ino’s ears. “I haven’t seen Ino in a while either. I think it’s time we go out.”

Sakura feigned a frown as she propped her elbows on the table and leaned towards him. “I know she’s a bombshell and all but she’s going out with Sai now.”

The look of disgust on her friend’s face was absolutely priceless. It wasn’t that he was revolted by Ino—just the idea of them being together. “I didn’t mean that! I meant we should all go out together—everyone from college! We can call ‘em up to catch up and stuff.” Naruto leaned back in his seat and looked out the window, looking at nothing in particular. “Man, I haven’t seen much of anyone since graduation. The only people I’ve seen in two years are you, Ino, Sai—if he counts as a college friend—and Sasuk—“

“Spare me,” she said, catching his attention as she unapologetically cut him off.

A sheepish smile seemed to escape him as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that messy breakup.”

“If we were even going out in the first place,” scoffed Sakura as she crossed her arms tightly against her chest. Gods, she was able to go two years without ever once thinking of that guy to the point that she’d even forgotten he was actually Naruto’s friend from basketball. “Anyway…” she began, not knowing exactly where she was headed with it. All she wanted right now was to change the subject.

“We don’t have to invite him if you don’t feel like putting up with him.”

It was cruel to put Naruto in such a position, to make him choose between the two of them when he was a pretty good friend to both her and Sasuke. With a sigh, she retreated but with full knowledge that if Sasuke knew she’d be coming, he’d have a pretty convincing excuse to not show up. “You can tell him. It would be wrong not to since he’s still part of the circle.”

He accepted her resignation with a nod before moving on. His voice was almost chirpy as if they hadn’t just brought up her two-week hot-and-cold ex-“boyfriend” and it served Sakura well because she could just as easily cover up the bitterness she tasted in her mouth with the same sweetness.

“We should decide on where to go before we call everyone up,” he suggested. “How about karaoke?”

“You really want to hear Pig hog the microphone all night?”

After dinner, the stopped by a small convenience store one block away from the apartment called Many Mart to buy a couple bottles of beer. When Sakura asked what happened to the stock he kept in his fridge, the blonde sniggered and apologized on behalf of the friends he had over last night.

Once they confirmed their purchase, they quickly made their way back to Canopy Heights. Naruto went straight into his apartment to set up while Sakura made a quick stop into her bedroom to exchange her white blouse and pants for her old baseball shirt from college and a pair of running shorts. On her way out, she grabbed a couple bags of chips she promised Naruto she would bring over for tonight.

When Sakura crossed over to the apartment across hers, she frowned at the sight of her friend wearing a shirt with the words “High fives for my hive” in the front. It was official ERA merchandise for the wrestler Killer B. She knew this because she helped Naruto pick out the design from when they went to catch the live show back in college. Had she known he was going to wear ERA merchandise, she wouldn’t have slept in her “Eternal Youth” shirt the other night.

“I swear to hell you are only wearing that to tick me off,” said Sakura as she headed straight for the kitchen to pour two different bags of chips into one bowl. “Killer B’s not even that good a wrestler. I mean sure, he knows how to work up a crown but—“

“Tsk, tsk,” interrupted the blonde, shaking his head in disappointment. “That just goes to show how much you missed out on since you last watched. Killer B’s gotten real good in the last year, you know?”

Naruto plopped down on his couch and found the remote between the cushions. As soon as he turned his television set on, the opening theme song for Elite Roster Arena began to play as if Naruto had already predicted that the show would begin 10:02 on the dot.

Sakura immediately joined him on the sofa, pushing his legs off of the seat. She handed him one of the two bottles of beer she managed to pull out of the fridge before running over to him while the bowl of chips was positioned between the two of them.

A familiar rush of exhilaration ran through Sakura as the first match between Killer B and some new guy named Dourei began. She hadn’t felt this excited for anything in years and she wondered why she ever stopped making time for this. It was fun singing along to Killer B’s anthem, and despite not being not so big on hiphop or rap music, the string of lyrics came to her automatically as if by muscle memory. Beside her, Naruto was practically bouncing on his seat as he sang along as well.

It wasn’t long before Killer B had won the match with his signature move and finisher, Hook, Line and Stinger. The referee counted to three and Naruto jumped to his feet with the rest of the crowd on-screen and began dancing in front of her.

Sakura paid the smug look on his face no mind as the commentators announced the featured match for tonight. Last on the match lineup was her favorite athlete Rock Lee against one of the more experienced wrestlers, Kakuzu. After which, they switched to commercial and Naruto calmed down.

“Whaddaya think so far, Sakura-chan?” asked Naruto before taking one last gulp at his first bottle of beer.

Sakura watched him make his way over to the kitchen to get another bottle from the refrigerator. “It’s good. You’re right, Killer B’s gotten better. Get me another one too, please.” She raised her bottle towards Naruto to show him she was nearly empty. “I thought Kakuzu was off the roster. You know, the elbow injury?”

He peered over the top of the bottom door of the fridge. “That was two years ago,” he replied flatly. “He’s better now and will probably kick Rock Lee’s ass.”

“Doubt it.”

The rest of the night continued with more matches, more singing along to the familiar opening anthems and screaming at the television set and chanting along with the crowd. In those two hours, Sakura found herself sitting on the sofa’s armrest, backrest, on the floor, lying on her stomach over Naruto’s sheets and wherever the hell she felt comfortable. The two of them only ever got out of their seats to get another beer or to use the bathroom (which, by the near end of the show, had become more frequent).

As soon as the second to the last match ended, Sakura excused herself once more to the bathroom to empty her bladder because she didn’t want to miss a single second of Rock Lee’s match. Naruto followed suit but for the reason that he didn’t want to miss any second of Kakuzu handing Rock Lee’s ass in.

After the last commercial break, the two of them found themselves in the same spot they were positioned in the beginning of the night.

Rock Lee’s anthem began to play and Sakura got to her feet and started singing along. Despite Naruto’s reservations about Green Beast Jr., he joined her in front of the television and began rocking out to the trill of the electric guitar that accompanied the spandex-wearing athlete to the ring.

“This is the will of fiiiiire,” the two of them sang in unison as the song came to a close, giving way to Kakuzu’s lyric-less horror anthem titled The Boogeyman.

As the match began, Sakura and Naruto settled back on the couch and shared the nearly empty bowl of chips and sipped on what Sakura knew would be their last bottle of the night. It was enough, she thought. She was halfway through her fifth bottle which was just enough to make her the right amount of tipsy.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Naruto grin wickedly and grow giddy as the zombie-man prepared to lock in her bet for his signature move. Luckily, Lee was able to reverse the move and slam Kakuzu on the floor of the ring instead. Sakura raised her fist in the air as his shoulders fell. Rock Lee had gained momentum and was able to climb to the top of one corner and jump to land on Kakuzu’s midsection.

“Ugh, it’s so freaky that Rock Lee looks so much like Might Guy,” mumbled the blonde beside her. Sakura drew her attention from the television to Naruto as he continued. “Especially knowing they’re not even remotely related. You only like him because he comes from Konoha.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, that’s one reason. But have you seen the guy? I mean, sure Kakuzu, Killer B and the other guys have muscles to back them up but no amount of buff is ever match for a guy as fast and agile as Rock Lee.”

Her hand gestured at the television where Lee was about to deliver a Reverse Lotus on his opponent. Once the referee counted to three, Sakura jumped up, arms stretched towards Naruto and ending with both her middle fingers in the air. “This is the power of youth. Suck it, dickface.” Naruto laughed and swatted her arms away. With one hand, he pulled her back down to the couch and told her to keep watching because apparently the match wasn’t over just yet.

As the beast with the bowl cut celebrated his victory on stage, Kakuze managed to sneak up from behind him and slam a steel chair—which Sakura guessed came from somewhere underneath the ring—into Lee’s spine. As the victor fell over on his stomach, Kakuzu raised his arms in the air, egging the crowd to cheer him on but instead elicited a resounding “boo.”

“Man, that power of youth thing is as fucking flimsy as a leaf,” he chuckled, finishing the last of his beer.

She didn’t bother hiding her eye roll since he wasn’t even paying attention to her in the first place. “Whatever. Rock Lee won tonight and you just don’t want to give a shit.”

“Oh, I give a shit because I am dead sure Rock Lee’s going to get beat up so bad next week,” he said as if he were making a promise. As the end credits rolled out, the blonde got to his feet and handed out an open palm. “You finished with that?”

Sakura emptied the bottle in one full gulp and handed it to him. As he walked over to the kitchen, Sakura grabbed the remote and switched to yet another sports channel where a re-run of a baseball game was being aired. “So, are we gonna push through with that catching up with everyone plan?”

“Why not? And I know this amazing bar—me and my friends from work drink there all the time so I can probably ask one of the people there to reserve us a table when we find a time that's good for everyone.”

“Sounds great,” answered the pinkette. “I’ll call Ino and Sai. I have Chouji’s number, too.”

After placing the empty bottles under the sink, Naruto stood by the edge of the kitchen and leaned on the wall. “That sounds about right. I’ll take care of Shikamaru then I’ll give Kankuro and Gaara a call, too.”

Sakura gave him a single nod as she stretched like a cat on the cushions. When she found herself yawning in the process, she realized she should well be on her way back to her own bedroom--especially considering that the clock that hung above the television read 12:05.

“I'll text Ino and Chouji tomorrow about going out,” said Sakura, pushing herself off of the couch. “Right now, I need some shuteye.”

“I guess so,” said the blonde as he walked her to his door. “Hey, you think you could come with me tomorrow to the mall? I need to buy some business casual clothes for this seminar we're having and I don't really know what that's supposed to look like.”

It was hard not to chuckle at his cluelessness. When she saw Naruto wasn't too amused with her reaction, she cleared her throat and nodded. “Fine. I probably won't be up until noon so we can go after lunch. Or better yet, we can just have lunch at the mall.”

“Perfect, because I've been craving for burritos,” Naruto mumbled more to himself than to her. He opened the door for her and Sakura gladly stepped out. “Good night, Sakura-chan. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“G'night,” she drawled.

He didn't wait for her to get into her apartment and shut the door behind her as she fumbled for her keys. She was able to unlock the door knob and push it open only to be stopped by the door chain fastened from inside. Well, Kakashi was home, she guessed. Gods, she hoped he wasn't in the bath and only starting his evening shower. From her very limited view through the 5-inch gap in the door, she couldn't exactly tell if the bathroom lights were on.

“...Hatake-san?” she called out softly following it up with a few knocks on the wooden door.

Before she could even call out again, she found half of his face looking through the gap.

“Sorry, let me just...” Sakura realized he couldn't pull the chain until she closed the door so she pulled back and let him open it from inside. Her roommate pulled the door wide open for her, giving her all the room she needed. “Sorry about that,” she heard him say in an albeit very neutral voice. Although, the stiffness in the way he stood as he held the door open for her begged to differ. She obviously caught him off-guard.

Sakura stepped in and offered him a smile that she hoped didn’t reflect the awkwardness that had been weighing on her during the past week. “It’s not your fault.”

“I thought you were already sleeping in your room,” he said, casually gesturing in the general direction of her bedroom. “I saw your shoes on the rack. Since you just came from a 24-hour shift, I thought you might not want to be disturbed.”

“Oh. Thank you for being so considerate, Hatake-san, really. I’m sorry, I just had a couple of drinks over at Naruto’s and…” Only now did she actually notice that he was still in that navy blue polo shirt with the Barkley K-9 Training Center logo on its chest. His hair was as dry as the summer which meant he hadn’t had his evening shower just yet. “Did you just get back?”

“I was actually just getting ready to go to bed,” came his reply as he quietly started to close the door.

“Oh, sorry. Please, don’t let me keep you. I’ll lock up.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as her roommate disappeared behind the bathroom door, Sakura let out a quiet sigh.

Truth be told, she was dying to dive into her mattress and fall asleep until Naruto wakes her up with a barrage of calls and messages tomorrow morning but gods know she would rather die than let her sheets smell like booze for the rest of the month. She had every intention of taking a quick shower as soon as she returned but seeing as her roommate had already been on his way, Sakura had to settle with taking a number.

She stalked quietly into her bedroom and grabbed a new shirt and a pair of panties before setting herself on the couch in the living room with her cellphone in hand. The next few minutes spent waiting for Hatake to finish his nightly routine was spent well—watching random videos on the internet (most of which had been on cats and dogs). Ino had bombarded her with messages as soon as the blonde probably noticed she was online but Sakura was too tired to come up with a decent response so she left replying to Ino for tomorrow.

A few minutes before midnight, the shower stopped running and she heard the faint yet very distinct sound of the shower curtain being pulled aside. Sakura wanted to put her phone down, take her clothes and run into the shower as soon as the bathroom door opens but she didn’t want it to look like she’d been impatiently waiting for him to be done with so she continued scrolling down her social media feed instead and laughed at a particularly funny dog photo Ino had shared.

(She wasn’t going to hit ‘Like’ though lest she be caught avoiding the blonde’s messages.)

When the bathroom door creaked open, she instantly looked up at her roommate and her felt her eyes instantly widen before she managed to pull them away. Hatake had a towel draped over his shoulders as he used one end to ruffle his own hair dry…and he was wearing nothing but a pair of old jogging pants.

And here she thought things couldn’t get any more awkward than they already were.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen a man’s body just yet. Hell, she was a nurse for crying out loud! She lost count of all the times she had rolled her eyes when a patient expressed their reluctance at the prospect of a sponge bath. What caught her off-guard was the fact that he seemed to be in great physical shape. All that jogging wasn’t for naught, she guessed.

From that brief moment she looked, she could tell that he was just as surprised to see her still in the living room. After all, he would’ve probably put on a shirt if he knew she hadn’t retreated into her bedroom just yet.

She fixed her eyes back on the screen of her phone, focusing on nothing in particular as she mindlessly scrolled through her feed. There was a lump in her throat she wanted to swallow so bad but couldn’t for fear that he might hear.

“Were you going to use the bathroom?” she heard him say.

“Yeah,” she put her phone down, still refusing to meet his gaze as she gathered her clothes (making sure to wrap her shirt around her undies) before getting up. When she looked up at him again, she forced her brain to sober up a little and trained her eyes on his face. “Just wanted to get a quick shower before going to bed.”

Hatake had stopped drying his hair and let the other end of the towel fall over his shoulder, thankfully covering more than half of his torso. He regarded her for a moment before speaking. “You should have told me. I wouldn’t have taken so long, otherwise.”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t really mind waiting,” she replied albeit a little too quickly.

“Well then, it’s all yours,” her roommate offered. “Should I turn off the lights here?” He gestured at the lights in the kitchen and the living room rather lazily.

She considered it for a moment before realizing that once she finished taking a shower, came out to a dark living room and shut the bathroom lights, she’d have to navigate her way back to her bedroom in complete darkness. Sakura shook her head and replied, “I’ll get them myself when I finish up.”

Hatake nodded once in understanding and started on his way back to his bedroom while Sakura took the long way around the couch instead of meeting him and risking the chance of bumping into his shirtless form.

Before she could even set foot in the bathroom, Hatake spoke from his bedroom door. “Goodnight, Haruno-san.”

She spared him a glance before creasing her eyes as she smiled. “Goodnight, Hatake-san.”

In an instant, he’d slipped into the comfort of his own bedroom and she closed the door behind her in the bathroom. It took a few seconds before she could completely erase the very image of her topless roommate (and the fact that the bathroom smelled basically like what she assumed his very soul smelled like wasn't really in her favor) and slap herself for being so stupid as to fall victim for such a cliche. The universe must have some kind of issue with her.

By the time she had drained all the humiliation out of her system, the steam in the bathroom from the slightly hot shower he'd taken had already settled. After making sure she had locked the door, Sakura stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the tub. She could care less whether or not he had finished the very limited supply of hot water they had--anything would do well to keep her from coming back to that scene just moments ago.

It didn't take long for her to wash the stench of the beer off of her and thank gods for that because she almost settled for falling flat on her face inside the bathtub. But despite having accomplished what she came in here to do, Sakura was hesitant about the trip back to her bedroom. 

Sure, her bedroom was right next door but what are the chances that the universe would play one last attempt at stirring awkwardness for the road? In those seven steps it would take her to go back, her roommate could come out thinking that she had forgotten to switch the lights off or decide that he wanted one last glass of water before going to bed...or just because gods thought it'd be hilarious.

Sakura was inclined to ask herself, "What are the chances that something similarly as embarrassing would happen within the same hour?" Then again, you could never tell what the universe or fate or whatever deity looked over them could be thinking. Maybe she should just tuck herself in right here in the bathtub. 

No. Sakura deserved the comfort of her bed after pulling a 24-hour shift and then some. She wasn't going to let some small insignificant albeit awkward run-in stop her from crawling under her sheets. For gods' sake, she was a nurse. She had seen hundreds of naked bodies before...then again, she never had to live with any of them. 

She growled through her teeth upon realizing she was back at square one. 

As soon as Sakura secured her towel around her chest, she took in a deep breath as she mustered all her courage in an attempt to tamper down the humiliation that threatened to well up in he chest again. Upon gathering the clothes she had in a crumpled heap on the sink, she spared herself one last glance and unlocked the bathroom door.

The trip back to her bedroom was uneventful. She was even able to sneak back out to turn the living room lights off as she had promised earlier. 

Sakura slipped into the same pair of shorts she wore when she crossed over to Naruto's apartment and pulled out a new shirt from her cabinet. The rest of her clothing had been forgotten in the hamper behind her bedroom door—much like the rest of her troubles for the day when she finally plopped down on her mattress and was overcome immediately by what she could say was a decent night's rest. 

Thankfully not one of the three dreams she had in her seven hours' rest included any topless roommates. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave some love!


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